2 Samuel 1

After the death of Saul, David returned from defeating the Amalekites and stayed in Ziklag two days.

2

On the third day a man arrived from Saul's camp, with his clothes torn and with dust on his head. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him honor.

3

"Where have you come from?" David asked him. He answered, "I have escaped from the Israelite camp."

4

"What happened?" David asked. "Tell me." He said, "The men fled from the battle. Many of them fell and died. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead."

5

Then David said to the young man who brought him the report, "How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?"

6

"I happened to be on Mount Gilboa," the young man said, "and there was Saul, leaning on his spear, with the chariots and riders almost upon him.

7

When he turned around and saw me, he called out to me, and I said, `What can I do?'

8

"He asked me, `Who are you?' "`An Amalekite,' I answered.

9

"Then he said to me, `Stand over me and kill me! I am in the throes of death, but I'm still alive.'

10

"So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band on his arm and have brought them here to my lord."

11

Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them.

12

They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

13

David said to the young man who brought him the report, "Where are you from?" "I am the son of an alien, an Amalekite," he answered.

14

David asked him, "Why were you not afraid to lift your hand to destroy the LORD's anointed?"

15

Then David called one of his men and said, "Go, strike him down!" So he struck him down, and he died.

16

For David had said to him, "Your blood be on your own head. Your own mouth testified against you when you said, `I killed the LORD's anointed.'"

17

David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,

18

and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):

Then Abner said to him, "Turn aside to the right or to the left; take on one of the young men and strip him of his weapons." But Asahel would not stop chasing him.

22

Again Abner warned Asahel, "Stop chasing me! Why should I strike you down? How could I look your brother Joab in the face?"

23

But Asahel refused to give up the pursuit; so Abner thrust the butt of his spear into Asahel's stomach, and the spear came out through his back. He fell there and died on the spot. And every man stopped when he came to the place where Asahel had fallen and died.

24

But Joab and Abishai pursued Abner, and as the sun was setting, they came to the hill of Ammah, near Giah on the way to the wasteland of Gibeon.

25

Then the men of Benjamin rallied behind Abner. They formed themselves into a group and took their stand on top of a hill.

26

Abner called out to Joab, "Must the sword devour forever? Don't you realize that this will end in bitterness? How long before you order your men to stop pursuing their brothers?"

27

Joab answered, "As surely as God lives, if you had not spoken, the men would have continued the pursuit of their brothers until morning. "

28

So Joab blew the trumpet, and all the men came to a halt; they no longer pursued Israel, nor did they fight anymore.

29

All that night Abner and his men marched through the Arabah. They crossed the Jordan, continued through the whole Bithron and came to Mahanaim.

30

Then Joab returned from pursuing Abner and assembled all his men. Besides Asahel, nineteen of David's men were found missing.

31

But David's men had killed three hundred and sixty Benjamites who were with Abner.

32

They took Asahel and buried him in his father's tomb at Bethlehem. Then Joab and his men marched all night and arrived at Hebron by daybreak.

2 Samuel 3

1

The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker.

2

Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel;

3

his second, Kileab the son of Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

4

the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

5

and the sixth, Ithream the son of David's wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

6

During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had been strengthening his own position in the house of Saul.

7

Now Saul had had a concubine named Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ish-Bosheth said to Abner, "Why did you sleep with my father's concubine?"

8

Abner was very angry because of what Ish-Bosheth said and he answered, "Am I a dog's head--on Judah's side? This very day I am loyal to the house of your father Saul and to his family and friends. I haven't handed you over to David. Yet now you accuse me of an offense involving this woman!

9

May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD promised him on oath

10

and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David's throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba."

11

Ish-Bosheth did not dare to say another word to Abner, because he was afraid of him.

12

Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, "Whose land is it? Make an agreement with me, and I will help you bring all Israel over to you."

13

"Good," said David. "I will make an agreement with you. But I demand one thing of you: Do not come into my presence unless you bring Michal daughter of Saul when you come to see me."

14

Then David sent messengers to Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, demanding, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for the price of a hundred Philistine foreskins."

15

So Ish-Bosheth gave orders and had her taken away from her husband Paltiel son of Laish.

16

Her husband, however, went with her, weeping behind her all the way to Bahurim. Then Abner said to him, "Go back home!" So he went back.

17

Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, "For some time you have wanted to make David your king.

18

Now do it! For the LORD promised David, `By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.'"

19

Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin wanted to do.

20

When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men.

21

Then Abner said to David, "Let me go at once and assemble all Israel for my lord the king, so that they may make a compact with you, and that you may rule over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

22

Just then David's men and Joab returned from a raid and brought with them a great deal of plunder. But Abner was no longer with David in Hebron, because David had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

23

When Joab and all the soldiers with him arrived, he was told that Abner son of Ner had come to the king and that the king had sent him away and that he had gone in peace.

24

So Joab went to the king and said, "What have you done? Look, Abner came to you. Why did you let him go? Now he is gone!

25

You know Abner son of Ner; he came to deceive you and observe your movements and find out everything you are doing."

26

Joab then left David and sent messengers after Abner, and they brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it.

27

Now when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the gateway, as though to speak with him privately. And there, to avenge the blood of his brother Asahel, Joab stabbed him in the stomach, and he died.

28

Later, when David heard about this, he said, "I and my kingdom are forever innocent before the LORD concerning the blood of Abner son of Ner.

29

May his blood fall upon the head of Joab and upon all his father's house! May Joab's house never be without someone who has a running sore or leprosy or who leans on a crutch or who falls by the sword or who lacks food."

30

(Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.)

31

Then David said to Joab and all the people with him, "Tear your clothes and put on sackcloth and walk in mourning in front of Abner." King David himself walked behind the bier.

32

They buried Abner in Hebron, and the king wept aloud at Abner's tomb. All the people wept also.

33

The king sang this lament for Abner: "Should Abner have died as the lawless die?

34

Your hands were not bound, your feet were not fettered. You fell as one falls before wicked men." And all the people wept over him again.

35

Then they all came and urged David to eat something while it was still day; but David took an oath, saying, "May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if I taste bread or anything else before the sun sets!"

36

All the people took note and were pleased; indeed, everything the king did pleased them.

37

So on that day all the people and all Israel knew that the king had no part in the murder of Abner son of Ner.

38

Then the king said to his men, "Do you not realize that a prince and a great man has fallen in Israel this day?

39

And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the LORD repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!"

2 Samuel 4

1

When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed.

2

Now Saul's son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin--Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,

3

because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day.

4

(Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

5

Now Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest.

6

They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

7

They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.

8

They brought the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to take your life. This day the LORD has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring."

9

David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble,

10

when a man told me, `Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!

11

How much more--when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed--should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!"

12

So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.